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I. OF T. CONGRESS.
THE headquarters of the Institute of HE Congress, to he held at Southampton from June 14-17, will be the South Western Hotel. The following programme has been arranged:—
June 14: 3 p.m., paper, " National Aspects of Transport," by Mr. G. F. Bilbrough; 9 p.m., mayoral reception at the Guildhall.• June 15: Morning, visit to depots of Southampton Corporation Transport Department and Hants and Dorset Motor Services; afternoon, visit to works of John I. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd.; 9 p.m., presidential reception and dance. June 16: 10 a.m., paper, "The Port of Southampton," by Mr. R. P. Biddle; afternoon, visit to the Southampton Docks of the Southern Railway; 8 p.m., Congress dinner on hoard "Empress of Britain." June 17: Morning, cruise around the Isle of Wight.
P.S.V. Plates Replaced by Licences.
THE Minister of Transport has issued a draft of the Public Service Vehicles (Licences and Certificates) (Amendment) (No. 2) Provisional Regulations, which, it is proposed, shall come into operation on July 1. These provide for the abolition of the plate required by the present regulations to be carried by all publicservice vehicles. In its.place it will be necessary to carry the licence itself in the form of a disc, similar to the excise licence. The new type will be introduced over the 12 months beginning July 1, as the old ones expire.
Each licence mast be in a weather proof container in a conspicuous position on the near side of the vehicle or on the windscreen adjacent to the ordinary Road Fund licence.
Are There "Mock Trials " on Secret Checks?
FAIRNESS of the secret check on lorries, by traffic-court officials, was challenged by Mr. Ernest E. Brown, solicitoi defending Mr. Edward flickinbottom, a Darlaston haulier, and Samuel Howells, one of his drivers, on summonses for failure to keep records, at Darlaston police court, last week. A check on a lorry owned by Mr. Hickinbottom and driven by Howells, taken at St. Albans on December 1 last, disclosed the offence, said Mr. G. L. Peace, for the West Midland Licensing Authority. Mr. Hickinbottom had made no effort to check his driver's record, he alleged, and Howells said he could not remember what happened so long ago.
Mr. Brown said if a driver of a private car committed an offence, unless stopped on the spot, he must be informed within 14 days. Intimation of alleged offences was often much later in the case of goods vehicles. Trafficcourt authorities apparently held
B20 "mock trials" on these secret checks to discover where prosecutions could be made.
Mr. Peace replied that every secret check, lasting 24 or 36 hours, produced about 3,000 observation slips from various parts of the country, and after collation the vehicles concerned had to be traced.
Commenting that this explanation threw some light on the cost of administrating the traffic-court system, the chairman (Mr. A. E. Horton) announced that Howells would be fined 20s. and Mr. Hickinbottom 20s., whilst there was £3 10s. 6d. costs.
Marked Rise in German Sales.
DURING February last, 3,089 new commercial vehicles were sold and registered for the first time in Germany, bringing up the total for the first_ two months of the current year to 6,592 units, as compared with 5,947 in the corresponding period of 1938.
Imminence of Irish Transport Report.
IT is stated that before the end of this week a report is likely to be presented by the Northern Ireland Government's Select Committee on Transport, since its task has been carried out so expeditiously. The hearing of evidence, it is reported, has been concluded, and a draft report is being drawn up.
We ,regret to learn of the death of Mr. S. H. Beech, managing director of Beech's Garage (Hanley), Ltd., which took place recently.
PERSONAL PARS.
MR. BARTLE BULL, M.P. for Enfield, has been appointed Parliamentary private secretary to Captain Euan Wallace, the new Minister of Transport.
MR. J. LORD was appointed senior driving examiner (M. of T.), Derby, on April 17. He was previously senior traffic inspector with Enterprise and Silver Dawn Motors, Ltd., Scunthorpe, until 1935, when he became a driving examiner at Nottingham.
MR. air .....ICHAEL CORNER, who, for ,many years, was in charge of the commercial-vehicle department at Appleyards of Leeds,' Ltd., has now joined Kennings, Ltd., of Sheffield, the wellknown distributor of Morris-Commercial vehicles and Morris light vans.
Mu. W. Dateow, director and general manager of British Timken, Ltd., Birmingham, is retiring at the end of this month. The position of general manager will be filled, on his retirement, -by Mu. B. H. RILEY, A.M.I.Mech.E., formerly sales manager, engineering /division.
MR. NORMAN BRADLEY has been appointed manager of the transport department of the Bradford and District Newspaper Co., Ltd. For many years, Mr. Bradley has been associated with the company's transport department, as haulage contractor. He succeeds Mr. J. Davenport, who has retired after 50 years' service.
COUNCILLOR IVOR GROVE, South Queensferry, Scotland, a leading county business man and national-service worker, has been invited to sit on the Consultative Committee to deliberate on the question of the co-ordination of road and rail rates and other matters incidental to the proper reorganization of the various systems of transport throughout the country.
SIR WILLIAM SLEIGH, chairman and managing director of Rossleigh, Ltd., Edinburgh, has completed his 50th anniversary in the cycle and motor industry. He was entertained last week by the managers and staff of the coinpany, and a presentation was made to him, by the staff, of a solid gold bowl. The gift was handed over by Sir Thomas Whitson, a director.
Engines Built Under Errors Patents.
WIE are informed by the National VV Gas and Oil Engine Co., Ltd., Ashton-under-Lyne, that it is not at present manufacturing engines for com mercial vehicles. The company is, however, prepared to supply designs for the equipment and to issue licences for these to any commercial-vehicle manufacturer desiring to build under the Erren patents. "RED HOUSE" NOT TO GET 13-TONNER.
(IN Wednesday of last week, the ‘.../West Midland Deputy Licensing Authority, Dr. W. Dawson Sadler, announced his adjourned decision on a case which had lasted over four days. The Red House Garage Co., Cromwell Street, Coventry, had applied for a renewal of its 26 haulage licences and for a modification to enable it to substitute a 13-ton lorry for a 71-ton vehicle which it already runs. Strenuous opposition came from the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., and from road operators from all parts of the country. They all emphasized that there was insufficient work for the bigger vehicle in Coventry, and that
the lorry would have to seek work elsewhere.
Giving his decision, Dr. Sadler said that he would grant a renewal for the whole fleet for a shortened period of two years. He thought that this would be wise in these uncertain times.
Regarding the application for modification, Dr. Sadler said there was no doubt that there had been very rapid expansion in Coventry, but he was satisfied that sufficient facilities already existed and he had decided to grant a licence for a 71-ton vehicle, without the modification asked for.
Shipping Guide for Hauliers.
rrHE following is the number of ships 1 arriving at the London docks, wharves and jetties named, from April 28 to May 6 inclusive. Dams: King George V, 9; Royal Albert, 10; Royal Victoria, 4; Surrey Commercial, 9; East India, 2; West India, 3; South-West India, 3; Tilbury, 11; Tilbury Stage, 4; Millwall, Royal, 2; London, I. :WHARVES : Hay's, 7; Tilbury Jetty, 2; Regent's Canal, I.
British Chassis for Polish Show.
AT least one British-built chassis is to be exhibited, this year, at the show at Poznan, Poland, which opens on May I. The chassis, which will be exhibited by Meta Garaze, of Cracow, Poland, is a Lynx short-wheelbase goods model manufactured by Leyland Motors, Ltd., for a 5-ton pay-load and fitted with a six-cylindered
a type of unit favoured by Polish operators. A special radiator, proofed against corrosion from mineral deposits will be fitted.
A passenger chassis was Leyland's last year's exhibit at this small Baltic university town. Later, the company secured the largest order yet placed by a Baltic state, when Riga Municipality, Latvia, ordered 90 passenger machines.
Cleansing's Importance in Peace and War.
'THE Scottish Centre of the Institute 1 of Public Cleansing held its spring meeting at Rothesay, Bute, last week, and was accorded a civic welcome by Provost J. S. M'Millan. Mr. William Asher, sanitary and cleansing inspector, Perth, was chairman. The attendance
comprised cleansing officials and members of local authorities from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Perth, and other areas. After general business, Mr. A. L. Thomson, inspector of cleansing. Motherwell, read a paper on the role of the cleansing department in national and wartime economy.
Jersey Potato Service Increased.
Tillsyeaf Burrows Transport, Ltd.. the head office of which is at 31-33, Tabard Street, Long Lane, London, S.E.1, intends again to operate its Jersey potato service, and its inaugura
tion is scheduled for May 17. This year a daily service will be run, instead of the 1938 tri-weekly service. ONE LAW FOR TRAMS, ANOTHER FOR LORRIES.
AST week, a lorry driver, Alexan
der Dumfries. was fined 40s. at Glasgow Central Police Court when he pleaded guilty to having_ driven a lorry, carrying a weight of 15 tons 10 cwt., on a railway bridge at Nithsdale Road, Glasgow. This weight was 10 tons 10 cwt. in excess of that permitted.
A solicitor for Mowat, said accused had come from Dumfries and was proceeding towards the centre of the city when he noticed a warning that there was a restricted bridge ahead. He attempted to find an -alternative route, but two other bridges were also restricted to 5-ton loads. He returned and saw a tramcar crossing the bridge at Nithsdale Road, and he thought that if a tramcar could cross, it would be safe enough for him to do so. Under the by-law, however, tramcars are exempt from the order.
New M.o.T. and Tyne-tunnel Project.
I T is stated that the appointment of Captain Euan Wallace as Minister of Transport has given rise to hopes that the proposed Tyne tunnel between North and South Shields, rejected by Mr. Burgin, may yet be approved. It is pointed out that Captain Wallace, when he drew an the unification plans for Tyneside two or three years ago, was in favour of a tunnel at the harbour mouth and the local authorities are waiting to see if he will pursue this attitude or follow that laid down by Mr. Burgin.
In the meantime. South Shields Town Council is continuing its opposition to the proposed " Kearney " tube under the Tyne, whilst Tynemouth Council will not oppose the plan provided its interests be safeguarded.
Lawyer Wanted on Lorry !
ADRIVER who was alleged to have said, when stopped by the police, that one would require a lawyer on a lorry nowadays, was fined 15s. at Forfar on April 20 for failing to carry a record of journeys, etc. I